Tuesday, October 13, 2009

The last stretch

Warning: this might not be a very positive post.

Yesterday I went to see the midwife, like I do every week. She measured my blood pressure, and then measured it again. I thought that was funny. It turned out to be 120/90 both times, as opposed to the steady 110/70 it had been throughout most of my pregnancy. Then she looked at my hands. "Your fingers are swollen, aren't they?" Yes, they are. "How has your weight gain been the past few weeks?" Two kilos in two weeks (that's 4.4 lbs). Then they tested my urine, and found traces of protein in it. All of this could - but does not necessarily does - point to signs of preeclampsia. I had not been nauseous or had blurred vision, and I still feel ok. Sure, I sleep well for two nights and then hardly sleep the third night, and the skin on my belly sometimes itches like there's a hundred ants creeping underneath, but that's supposed to be normal for the last stretch, right?

The midwife told me to go home and not worry, because that's not good for my blood pressure. She does want to see me in again on Thursday instead of next Monday.I guess I shouldn't worry. If she really thought it was preeclampsia, she wouldn't have sent me home but told me to go to the hospital right away. And I'm exactly 37 weeks along. That's considered a milestone over here. Not only is the baby full-term now, but also you have to be at least 37 weeks along to be allowed to deliver at home. So if I get contractions now (and I continue to feel ok and things go normally, as far as that's possible in labor) I'll be allowed to stay at home to have my baby. And that's what I really want!